| date=Printed in the ''Observer'' on [[1938#February|February 20]], [[1938]]

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| date=Printed in the ''Observer'' on [[20 February]] [[1938]]

| subject=''[[The Hobbit]]''

| subject=''[[The Hobbit]]''

}}{{letter|25}}

}}{{letter|25}}

==Summary==

==Summary==

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On [[16 January]] [[1938]] the ''Observer'' newspaper published a letter asking about the ''[[The Hobbit|The Hobbit's]]'' links to ''[[Beowulf]]'' and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's [[Hobbits]]. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on [[February 20]] [[1938]],<ref group="note">In [[Letter 26]] Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.</ref> Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to ''Beowulf'', though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).

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On [[16 January]] [[1938]] the ''Observer'' newspaper published a letter asking about the ''[[The Hobbit|The Hobbit's]]'' links to ''[[Beowulf]]'' and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's [[Hobbits]]. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on [[20 February]] [[1938]],<ref group="note">In [[Letter 26]] Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.</ref> Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to ''Beowulf'', though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).

Tolkien then gave the origins of some of the names he ''can'' trace: [[Gandalf]] and the dwarves' from the [[Poetic Edda|Elder Edda]], [[Smaug|Smaug's]] from the Germanic ''Smugan'' ("to squeeze through a hole") and Hobbits' from "Obvious Sources" (he gives "the full list of their wealthier families...: [[Baggins]], [[Boffin]], [[Bolger]], [[Bracegirdle]], [[Brandybuck]], [[Burrowes]], [[Chubb]], [[Grubb]], [[Hornblower]], [[Proudfoot]], [[Sackville]], and [[Took]]"). He also discussed his idiosyncratic use of the plural ''dwarves''&mdash;he "knew no better"&mdash;and [[runes]].

Tolkien then gave the origins of some of the names he ''can'' trace: [[Gandalf]] and the dwarves' from the [[Poetic Edda|Elder Edda]], [[Smaug|Smaug's]] from the Germanic ''Smugan'' ("to squeeze through a hole") and Hobbits' from "Obvious Sources" (he gives "the full list of their wealthier families...: [[Baggins]], [[Boffin]], [[Bolger]], [[Bracegirdle]], [[Brandybuck]], [[Burrowes]], [[Chubb]], [[Grubb]], [[Hornblower]], [[Proudfoot]], [[Sackville]], and [[Took]]"). He also discussed his idiosyncratic use of the plural ''dwarves''&mdash;he "knew no better"&mdash;and [[runes]].

Summary

On 16 January1938 the Observer newspaper published a letter asking about the The Hobbit's links to Beowulf and other branches of mythology, as well as the literary and philological origins of Tolkien's Hobbits. In this letter, printed in the newspaper on 20 February1938,[note 1] Tolkien provided a thorough reply. He confirmed the debt he owed to Beowulf, though he thought it was largely unconscious. Concerning Hobbits he did not remember precisely where he 'got the idea' and had not encountered the "old fairy tale" that the letter-writer vaguely remembered also contained furry creatures called "Hobbits" (Tolkien therefore suspected they are only accidental homophones, and pointed out that his Hobbits did not live in Africa and were not furry).

Notes

↑ In Letter 26 Tolkien explained that this "long and ridiculous" letter was intended only to be forwarded to the original letter-writer. He had written another, "short and fairly sane" reply for publication which the editor did not use.